Good tip GIA too.Dame lottie - There will always be a big drop after 2 years because the first 2 years are based on your maternity leave earnings. After that they are based on your earnings in work. My tax credits more than halved once E was 2 . That is an absolutely gorgeous piccy of your LO soooooooo cute.Upsyxxx

GIA2 - I think that is a brilliant idea about using cash. I remember when I used to get paid weekly in cash and I was never overdrawn/in debt. Even if I earnt a lot less. I need to get organised and do that.

Upsy - Blimey, these tax credits just get more and more complicated. At the end of every year I give them the figures from my P60 and I thought they calculated based on that. When I was on mat leave I was very careful to give them the right figures so I wouldn't then get less the next year. Was I wrong then? Oh christ

DL - I think the confusion comes from the fact they always use the income from the year before (except for the maternity leave year where you have to let them know an estimate of your reduced income ASAP). So for the whole year after maternity leave your still getting tax credits based on your reduced income from the previous year. Hence the shock when half of it suddenly disappears the year after that . The nursery payment post 3 is an absolute nightmare to calculate ! I've already phoned them up with 3 different figures and I'm still not sure its correct ! It's all as clear as mud and it gets to the point where you just can't bear to spend another 30 mins on hold on there awful help line What really gets me mad is that the world and his wife assumes that because E is 3 I don't have to pay for nursery any more ARRGGHHHHH! For 2 days I'm still paying £40 pound a week and in the holidays it's £76, hardly free!!! Mind you my SIL has just found out a London nursery can cost £70 a day Upsyxxx

Blimey Upsy - £70 a day, that's ridiculous!! GIAtoo - I also used to draw out cash too during hard times - it is a fool proof way of spending only what you've got. Think I may start doing that again soon as it works a treat! I am currently with Sky for TV, Phone and Broadband (roughly £20 a month). I pay BT separately for line rental. Does anyone know of any other companies which do a good deals on TV Freeview recorder, phone and internet? Do you all shop around for electricity and gas? That is one thing I need to look at reducing the cost of. Thanks again ladies for these excellent ideas! Kylecat xxx

PS - GIAtoo - I use a childminder (in southampton where I live). The cost is £27 a day - far less expensive than a nursery. Not sure what London childminders charge though.

I'm paying Sky £32.75 a month for Sky - includes TV (not all sky channels - just cancelled movies to save a bit of dosh, but I still get lifestyle/culture, documentaries and entertainment plus all the freeview channels of course), broadband (the basic level which is plenty for me) and Phone (line rental + free national calls eves and weekends). I looked into changing to Virgin but it was so expensive. Gonna get Lovefilm (3 months free then I think it's £5.99 a month for 3 DVDs)

I'm no big fan of NCT but the women who run those courses do it for love rather than the money. And they are credited with huge changes in the rights of pregnant women via their lobbying. For a six week course I didn't think it was very expensive. Mind you, didn't learn much! I use Quidco and it's fab. Really no catch. Oh and Freecycle! My house is filling up with fab Freecycle goodies! Scored a hi fi last week plus a bag of kids toys rlx

i feel i'm a way of actually having to do this and i don't want to tempt fate but feel i really need to be thinking about my finances now as it is something that really worries me. especially with the prospect of having twins. i will also lose my two lodgers when the babies come so have to budget for losing a fair chunk of money each month.

can anyone tell me though, although i'm not sure anyone else will be or have been in my situation....i haven't worked for quite a while and i'm not sure i'll be able to get any work now to last me until the end of the pregnancy so will i not be entitled to any 'working tax credits' as i haven't actually been working? what is the best way to find out what one is entitled to? have you all spoken to advisers at the benefits office or found out yourselves? it seems they often don't enlighten you to everything you might be entitled to. is it worth seeing a CAB adviser instead as they'll be more independent/impartial? also, having been out of work will i still get any kind of maternity pay?

from some of your posts i'm wondering if it's actually a 'good' thing that i haven't worked but i'm probably getting very confused?? and if that is the case am i better off *not* trying to get any work for the remaining time that i can?